The Ames Library Board of Trustees supported moving forward on a plan to construct a new building for the Ames Library on a vacant lot just east of the City Hall.

“In this economic time we are being challenged and pulled and pushed in more than one direction. It’s in these times that we need to be bold and put ourselves out there … We need to think bigger about the future,” said Al Campbell, a Library Board of Trustees member.

Community members asked why they did not have more say in the design process at the open public forum.

“Ames Public Library is loved by the public, used by the public and paid for by the public,” said Sue Ravenscroft, of Ames. “But, the public was not widely included in the decision making process.”

Holly Fuchs, of Ames, hoped the library would stay at its original location for a number of reasons. She said she believed it has social meaning, a sense of place and history and logistical strengths and has the benefit of being downtown.

The Library Board of Trustees brought up reasons that a new building could be beneficial to Ames.

“The activity level at our library is typical of a city of about 150,000,” said Art Weeks, library director.

Constructing a new building for the library would cost about $1.9 million less than reconstruction on the current library, said Jeff Scherer the consulting architect for the project. It would cost about $1 million to rent a temporary building for two years, Scherer said.

The current site has been remodeled and renovated five times already, and the Library Board of Trustees said it should consider the future before.

“The new building will be state-of-the-art in the library’s needs and in energy efficiency,” said Dudley Luckett, a Library Board of Trustees member. “It will be a great statement to the Ames community. With two downtown buildings we can be proud of we can have our cake, and eat it too.”